


What Happens on Daibazaal

by sunfries



Series: Some Other Paladins [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Accidental Marriage, Galra Shiro (Voltron), M/M, Pining Keith (Voltron), Shiros birthday fic, only one bed trope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-07 19:04:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17966264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunfries/pseuds/sunfries
Summary: Some other reality, some other paladins...Keith's been with the BOM since he was an infant. It's all he's known until it suddenly got transformed into a relief program after Voltron defeated the Galra Empire.There were so many new recruits he met but the only one that struck his interest was a tall Galran named Shiro.Their faction just finished their biggest project yet and it was a huge success. The entire cruiser decided to celebrate by stopping by the recovered planet of Daibazaal for a few days.Shiro’s got a lot of family to visit and decides to ask his roommate and friend, Keith, to come along. He wants to introduce him his family members, to hopefully warm them up to him so one day he can ask Keith out.Only his family's not quite on the same page.In fact, they're already a few steps ahead of them.





	What Happens on Daibazaal

**Author's Note:**

> HEY I DIDNT BETA THIS BC I'M LATE AS FUCCKKKK
> 
> Anyway this is for my discord group's Secret Cupid (Or Shiro’s bday bc it's due the same day lol)
> 
> If my giftee has an AO3 I'll mention them here!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading this blerb of an accidental sheith marriage!
> 
> Pre-script, PS: I GAVE SHIRO LOTS OF FAMILY BECAUSE ITS WHAT THAT BOY DESERVES.

The deep, shipwide grumbling of the landing gear and jets finally ceased after the full landing sequence was complete and the cruiser was comfortably nestled on the hard ground beneath them. Blades, compassionate yet fierce Marmora members, began to stir as it was safe to move around again now that they had docked. It was supposed to be a time of celebration for their accomplishments however all Keith had planned was to do some cleaning and some light reading on the very ship he’d been on for months. 

“What's wrong, Keith? Don’t feel like going out on the town tonight?” 

Keith paused mid-stride to turn his head towards the familiar voice he’d heard time and time again. It was Shiro, his patrol partner and roommate on the Blade of Marmora relief cruiser. Everybody else in the hall was filing toward the exit while Keith was turned down towards the living quarters. 

“Not really, it’s fine though. I don't know the area and I don't have any family to visit, so. What about you, Shiro? You have family here, right?” 

Their faction of the Marmora forces had just finished lending a hand to the Novarians, a group of people who were left without the proper means of sustainable food source once the Galra Empire had up and left. The Blades took it upon themselves to deliver appropriate agricultural items as well as dispersing medical supplies. The mission was unique and was their longest yet taking around nine months on site. It was decided that afterwards the entire cruiser would dock on the nearby recovered planet of Daibazaal, which had been lost initially 10,000 years ago, as a celebration and short break for a few days. Everybody had a lot of questions on exactly how the planet got restored, but from what Keith could gather it was because of something Voltron did. 

Daibazaal and Altea had both been back for almost five years now. Most of the Galra had relocated back to their home planet, seeing as how a good 60% of them were just living on cruisers before then. Some others left their established homes on other planets to travel back to their home world to give it a chance. Of course not everybody traveled back to live on Diabazaal. Keith's mother was out doing the same thing he was, actually. Just on a different cruiser on a different mission. She’d started out with them on helping the Novarians on planet Nox but left early as a part of a special task force. She was the only family Keith had.

There was a side grin that crept its way across the large male’s lips as Keith tried to turn back down the hallway.

“Yeah, I was planning to go see them. You could come if you want to. I’ve been on Daibazaal, well, to the city at least, five times already. I could show you around a bit so you can see everything.” He smiled which showed his cute, long canine teeth.

Shiro looked considerably more Galra than Keith. He was almost two and a half feet taller than him, he had claws at the end of his fingers, sported a tail and large, adorable fuzzy ears also. Oh right, he was also a purple hue. Lighter than most other Galra Keith had seen, but still purple nonetheless. His sclera was the usual Galra yellow but he had prominent irises suggesting he didn’t just have Galra blood. Keith felt a sort of kinship with him, being mixed race as well. 

Keith, however, didn’t look anything close to the typical Galra. He was more slender, short by comparison, physically weaker, had round features like ears and fingers, and for the most part was fur-less and pale with no purple. Keith’s mother had told him his father was part a race called Humans and that they had all lived on planet Earth for a short time. Unfortunately their family broke apart when Keith and his mom returned to the Blades to continue leading the resistance against the Empire. Keith thought about his father they left behind many times. He planned to travel there to Earth some day to meet him when he was ready. 

“I don't know, Shiro.” Keith tried to decline his offer. “I’m just going to kick back, I’ve got some maintenance to do on my blade anyway.” 

“Come on, just for a couple hours. Then you can come back and sit in our room by yourself if that’s really what you want.” He teased. “Besides, the kitchen staff is all going out too, so there’s no dinner tonight.” 

Keith actually did want to go. He loved spending time with Shiro. He was a great roommate, partner, and friend. He’d met him a couple years ago when Shiro joined them after The Blade of Marmora became a relief project. It was during a time when the project was expanding and changing. They recruited a lot of Galra that were more than willing to help, as well as many other races within a short period of time. Keith had to meet every single new recruit when they came in but Shiro was the only one that stuck out to him. For more than just his ability to help the Blades help people.

Keith tried to think up another excuse to stay behind. He didn’t want to intrude on Shiro’s family or anything. 

Before he could find the right words Shiro began closing the gap between the two of them with his arm outstretched. 

“It’ll be fun, I promise.” he said with a glint in his yellow eye. He put his large, clawed hand on Keith’s back and began leading him towards where now only a few Blades were walking. “I can think of a few places to show you, actually. You’re going to love this.”

\------

Shiro knew exactly where to take Keith. The first place they visited was a weapon shop that specializes in, you guessed it, blades and swords. There was actually a couple other crew members from the same Marmora cruiser shopping there as well. Keith guessed this place had a good reputation despite only being open for business a few years. There was a beautiful dagger blade that was clear as crystal with a faint pinkish purple glow from the center. Keith had never seen anything like it before. The blade was out of his price range however, unfortunately, so he left the shop cursing himself for not being able to justify the cost. 

The next place Shiro brought him to was a long wall that had murals painted down the entire thing. It told a bit about the Old Galra history, the Empire take over, and recent events. Keith, who had grown up with the original Blades in the midst of a war, away from the rest of the Galra cruisers, knew almost nothing about his heritage and culture. He always felt out of place when the others would reference celebrations and customs that he was unfamiliar with. He told Shiro about how he felt once and since then he’s helped give footnotes and answer and questions that he had about Galra customs. 

The last place was on a whim, and only because Keith’s stomach grumbled so dramatically in the absence of food. They stopped by a food stand to grab something that was easy to carry with them. 

It had been over three hours of walking around the streets, in that time the sun had set over the line of large buildings in the distance. The architecture was a mix of classic Galra buildings from before the planet was lost and also architectural influences from other planets around the known and connected universe. It made sense to bring ideas and designs from places that the Galra (and other current Diabazaal residents) had lived for thousands of years beforehand. It seemed like the city went on forever. The area they were reaching was getting more suburban as they headed to Shiro’s parents. 

“You want the rest of mine?” Keith held out the end of his street food on a stick. He wasn't full, per se, but he knew the large body next to him required more food to keep it functioning. Especially with how ripped Shiro liked to keep himself. He was constantly doing pull-ups , pushups, crunches, and running around doing laps. Keith was constantly watching, too. Shiro was the one who bought the food anyway.

“Sure, only if you’re done with it.” He leaned downward towards Keith and took the rest of the food in his mouth in a single bite. Keith was still holding onto the stick end. 

He shifted his gaze back towards where they were walking. “So how much further is it..?” He hoped he didn't look as red as he felt. It was easier to tell whenever Keith was blushing because of the color of his skin. Most Galra got flushed with a deeper purple hue whereas Keith just turned red. He hated it.

Shiro pointed in the near distance. “It’s actually that one right there.” He gestured to a house that looked like some hybrid of Galra architecture and something else Keith couldn't place his finger on. There was little to no front yard but it seemed like that was the norm here. The house stretched from one end of the property to the other and looked very well taken care of. Keith wondered exactly what Shiro’s parents did to have such a beautiful home to their name.

Then Keith realized he was about to meet some people. Crap. Being a natural introvert made it hard to talk about himself or let himself be the focus of conversation. He didn't mind talking to new people if it was about the Marmora project, or something about the team. Talking about himself just made him feel awkward and boring. 

Keith knew very little about Shiro’s family. He had a mom, a dad, a brother, a sister, and maybe some cousins? This would be his first time meeting any of them. Not that it was a big deal or anything. 

Shiro reached the front door and gave a couple knocks before putting his hand on the doorknob and opening it himself. The door was massive, of course. It gave Shiro a nice amount of clearance before the door frame began. Keith swore he could stack himself twice and just have to barely duck under. 

Shiro called out to his family, none of which were visible from the entrance of their home. “Mom! Dad! I’m home!” 

Someone suddenly heard a voice from around the corner of the stairs. “Oh! Shiro, my darling! Dear, DEAR! Shiro’s here!” 

It was Shiro’s mother, Keith guessed. She rushed over to pull him into an affectionate hug. She looked like Shiro did, except a bit less Galra. She had no tail and round, soft fingertips like Keith’s. Her eyes didn’t have the normal yellow hue but instead sported magnificent shimmering golden irises among white sclera. She still had Galra features, she was the lightest lavender Keith had ever seen but still a shade of purple. She had large ears that matched Shiro’s as well. There were lots of other resemblances among them including the structure of their lips, eyes, and cheekbones. She was beautiful.

Keith watched from behind Shiro and his mom as a very tall and large Galra man came from the same direction around the stairs. He looked like the textbook classic Galra soldier. He was broad, had large ears and a long tail with sharp claws and yellow eyes. His face wore a natural scowl until he reached his wife and son and cracked a smile for them before placing his hand on Shiro’s shoulder. 

“We missed you, son.” 

Keith knew Shiro’s father used to be a part of the Empire when he was younger until he met Shiro’s mother. Keith wasn’t sure how the rest of the details went but from what he understood he wasn’t a bad guy. 

His mom kept ahold of Shiro’s clawed hand. “How was the mission this time? Did you help lots of people and have fun?” 

Shiro began to answer his mother when his father turned his attention towards Keith who had backed up against the door minding his own business and trying not to intrude on this family moment.

“Who’s this?” His father gestured. His mother leaned around Shiro to get a look at the stranger in her house. 

Keith instinctively stood up straighter and held his chin up high. Shiro’s father reminded him of some of the senior Blades from both the original and current Marmora factions. 

Shiro took a step back to usher Keith closer to his parents. He placed his had on his back again. “This is Keith. He’s my Marmora partner and roomate. My best friend, too.” 

Best friend? Shiro had never described him like that before. It made Keith smile. 

He stretched out an arm to the man, offering his teeny-tiny hand. “Good to meet you, sir” 

The Galra’s icy demeanor was broken once again by a smile as he shook his hand, careful not to crush or scratch him. “Don’t be so formal, son.” He let go. “We’re all family here, call me Srik.” 

Shiro’s mom used both of her hands to hold around his single hand, like she had with Shiro. “And I’m Volle, it’s nice to meet you, Keith. We’ve heard bits and pieces about you from Shiro.” 

Shiro talked about him to his family? That’s... fair. He guessed he talked about Shiro a great deal to his own mother before she left on her mission. 

“O-oh,” Keith stammered. “Well, I’ve heard a little bit about you as well. Sorry to intrude, I was going to stay on the ship but Shiro wanted to show me around the city.”

“Of course he did.” His mother, Volle, shot Shiro a brief glance. What was that about?

Srik turned his body towards the wall way and beckoned them back. “We were just sitting down for dinner. Come on, you two.” He lead them down the hallway and around the end of the stairs. Srik seemed pretty laid back for a Galra. Even if he couldn't help his tense aura he immediately softened whenever he spoke or expressed himself. It was rare to meet a Galra from the Empire that was intimate in their actions with someone other than their close family. 

“We stopped for a bite on the way here but I could still eat some.” Shiro explained while they rounded the corner. There sitting at the table was another person, an older lady but still vibrant looking. She wasn’t Galra at all, but instead had the same golden eyes as Volle and was softer in her features. Her skin was a faint yellow, changing in waves of marble across her arms and legs, varying slightly in color and intensity. Keith recognized the magnificent display from a race of people known as Soleans. They were uncommon to find since their own planet had since become inhospitable and they dispersed among the galaxy. Solean’s were bright individuals in both mind and body. They were uniquely spiritual, often gifted with the ability to see a person’s true heart and what they referred to as ‘aura colors’. With how soft and nurturing the Soleans were it was a surprise to Keith that they and the Galra would have anything in common. 

The woman lifted her chin towards the incoming crowd of people. “Shiro! It’s about time you made it back home. Come over here, give your grandmother a hug.” 

Shiro crossed over and did as he was told and his grandma stood up out of her chair. Even though she wasn't Galra she was still taller than Keith by a good amount. Keith stood away from them as Srik gestured for him to sit down. 

Keith obliged as Shiro introduced him to a part of his family once more.

\---------

Shiro’s family was so welcoming Keith wasn't sure how to respond. He’d only been surrounded by the Blades his whole life. And while they definitely had their way of showing love and appreciation, Shiro’s family was on a whole other level. Even his father, Srik, seemed to be more affectionate thank Keith would have guessed. 

Keith learned a bit about the Solean’s and Shiro’s grandmother, whose name was Lehtik. She was incredibly sweet to Keith and wanted to hear all about him and whatever he knew about the race of Humans. He told her what he could while they swapped stories. After a little while the conversation changed to the Marmora project and how proud of Shiro they were. His father specifically. They asked about Keith and his family and he told them of his mother and her involvement in the Blades as well. Keith practically felt at home with them.

After a few hours of talking it was getting late. They were going to make their way back to the cruiser in the city darkness but Volle and Srik both insisted that their son and Keith stay here for the night. That way they could get the whole family together for some lunch the next day to see Shiro again. 

His parents bid them goodnight as they turned back to deal with the kitchen mess. Keith tried to offer to help but was rejected and wished a relaxing night. He followed Shiro back around the corner and up the stairs by the entrance to the house. He watched Shiro’s long, thin tail sway back and forth with each step up as they found their way to the guest room.

Shiro opened the impossibility large door and went in, Keith right on his heels. 

The room was fairly normal for a guest room. Exactly a little bit too normal. As in, there was only one bed, normal.

Keith wasn't sure what else he was expecting, it’s not exactly like Shiro’s family had expected him to tag along.

Before Keith could say anything Shiro had already begun to pull extra bedding out of the closet and placed it on the floor. He looked over to a quizzical Keith and got down. “Bed’s for you.”

Keith looked at the spot on the floor he was crouched in front of. “What? No way, Shiro. It’s your parents house, besides, look at how little room there is on the floor. I’d end up stepping gone you on the middle of the night. I’m sleeping on the floor, I don’t wanna hear it.”

“Ha, my mom would kill me. I think she liked you more than she likes me.” He smiled and sat down completely. “I won't take up that much space.”

Even sitting down he looked uncomfortable. There’s no way he was going to be able to lay there all night without waking up to some serious aches and sore muscles. Keith looked up at the bed, then back at Shiro. 

“You know, if you don't care, the bed looks pretty big. We could just share it. I doubt I would take up much of it anyway.” It wasn't exactly the type of bed sharing he wanted to do with Shiro, but Keith knew how to not be weird about things. In this case it made no sense for one of them to sleep on the floor. 

Shiro grinned at him as he finished talking. “Sure, I mean it’s just a bed. I might kick you in my sleep by accident.” He stood back to his feet grabbing the pillow and blanket, towering over Keith once more. “I’ll sleep on this side so you don't have to crawl over me.”

He placed his bedding on the left half of the bed, against the wall, and got on. He maneuvered the blanket out from under him for Keith. They’d brought nothing with them and didn't have any clothes to change into so Keith turned off the light and got into the bed next to Shiro. 

Keith began the daunting task of trying to slow and lessen the dramatic thump of his heart pounding away. He’d slept in a room with Shiro for over a year now but never right next to him on the same mattress. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch him, pull him close and hang off of him. But all he could do was lay there and imagine the feeling of Shiro wrapping his muscled arms around him, encasing him entirely. Keith wanted to be enveloped by Shiro’s gigantic hug and to ruffle the fur of his large fuzzy ears. He wanted to be intimate with him so bad. Unfortunately, for now, all they were doing was sleeping. 

\----------

A faint, low rumble woke Keith sometime before the sun began to shine. There were no other noises. No birds sang. Nobody in the house stirred. The rest of the city was still asleep. It was only the slow, rhythmic vibration coming from Shiro’s throat. Keith opened his eyes. 

He was very, very far away from his original spot where he’d fallen asleep. Before he was within four inches of the edge of the mattress. In his sleep he had rolled straight into the middle. 

And directly into Shiro’s arms.

Keith blinked through the morning blindness. What was happening? 

He was laying mostly on his back still, slightly turned on his side barely facing Shiro. He could see, and feel, Shiro’s arm reaching over top of him and scooping back around to coddle his head, and to hold him closer. Keith gently tilted his chin upwards to try and get a look at Shiro. He stopped when he felt something on top of his head. Instead, he slowly rotated his neck to see what he could. 

Shiro was still asleep. 

Was this real? The rolling hum was constant and loud, and it was coming from Shiro. Keith didn’t understand. He twisted a bit to see just a little more of him. 

His head was pressed up again Keith’s, tucked in in a way. Keith watch him breath in sync with the vibrating before he came around enough to figure out what was happening. 

Lost in whatever deep sleep dream he was enjoying, Shiro was purring. 

He was cuddling into Keith, in the same bed, and was purring loudly. This was the first and only time Keith had witnessed such a thing in his life. He knew it was possible for Galra to purr but he had never heard it before. And here he was. Holding Keith and purring. 

What should he do? Pretend to be asleep and roll over? Cough to make him move? Wake him up and play it off as a joke?

No. Keith just turned his head back and nestled it back into place under Shiro. He just closed his eyes and pretended like he never awoke in the first place.

\-------------

Keith opened his eyes again. This time there was daylight coming through the window and the faint sounds of Dibazaal birds chirping away. Shiro was back to minding his own business on the left side of the bed, faintly snoring away. 

Keith carefully slipped off of the bed and out the door. Did that really happen last night? Now that he was more conscious he found himself wondering. It seemed too good to be true. It must have been a dream. 

Keith found his way to the bathroom to deal with the damage of leaving the ship without his toothbrush or hairbrush. 

After the bathroom Keith found himself wondering if he should go back into the bedroom or go downstairs. He debated for a moment before he heard a voice behind him. 

“So you’re Keith?” Another woman had just come up the stairs and stood at the top . “I’m Kroz, I’m Shiro’s sister.” 

Kroz, Shiro had talked about her a lot. She was the person Shiro spoke to most while on their missions. He guessed they were pretty close. 

“Oh, uh, hi. Shiro’s still sleeping in there...” He pointed off toward the bedroom they had slept in.

“I wanted to talk to you actually,” she started. “Shiro’s talked about you a lot so I’m curious. There’s breakfast downstairs if you’re hungry. Come on.” She gestured with a smile. Kroz looked a lot like her brother. Tall and mostly Galra features except for her eyes. Her facial structure mimicked more of her father’s face except her jawline. 

Keith nodded and headed downstairs behind Kroz. 

There were suddenly a lot more people than Keith remembered there being last night. There was Volle and Srik and Lehtik, but now there was another half Solean woman, two older teenage Galra who sat in the front room on some electronic device, and also a baby sleeping in a small portable crib. 

Kroz crossed through the chatter and grabbed Keith a plate. “Here,” she offered and gestured towards the line of food on the counter. “

Keith nodded and built himself a plate. He said good morning to Srik and Volle, Shiro’s grandmother was busy talking to the other woman that looked like Volle did. 

He sat down with Kroz feeling suddenly very alone without Shiro there with him. These people were friendly but they were still strangers. 

“So I heard you already met mom, dad, and grandma.” She pointed over to Lehtik and Volle in the middle of a conversation with the other woman. “That’s Aunt Viziri, and those are her kids in there on the couch. Komes and Nomik, but they probably won't bother you much.”

Keith hadn't said much at this point. He was still waking up and also being presented with a lot of information. 

“You alright, Keith?” Kroz asked. “Don’t worry, we’re less intimidating when we're not in a group. Shiro talks about you a lot. He says you guys have a lot of fun together.”

Finally, something Keith could talk about. “Yeah, of course. I grew up with the Marmora Blades so fun wasn't really a top priority. Shiro sort... well he taught me how to have fun in the first place.” 

Kroz smiled. “He thinks you’re pretty fun to be with too, you know.”

Keith felt himself start to grow red. “Oh..? You probably shouldn't let him know you told me that.” Shiro thought he was fun?

Her tone changed to something more serious but still friendly. “You know, Shiro’s a really good person. And he deserves a lot.”

Keith hesitated, waiting for her to continue, then nodded in accordance. “I agree.” He gave a tentative glance around the room. “Was... was there someone that said he didn't?”

She shook her head. “No, just seeing if you thought the same.” 

Keith stared at his plate. He wasn't sure where to go from here.

“Don’t worry, Keith. Everything will get better.” What was she talking about? “We’re all family here after all.”

\---------

Kroz introduced Keith to her infant daughter, Lam. Keith was smitten by her chubby mauve cheeks and excited squeals and spent a while playing with her on the carpet while Kroz sat on the couch, chatting with him. Shiro still hadn’t woken up for the day even though breakfast was long over. Keith noticed the family gathering had started to move into the back yard now that the day was warming up. Kroz lifted Lam to follow them as Keith began to head back towards the stairs. 

“Hey, Keith, I think they may need your help out there setting up the table and stuff.” Kroz called after him. 

“I was going to go wake Shiro up.” He explained. 

“I’ll get him, don't worry about it.” She gave him a pat on the shoulder as she passed him in the hallway. Strange, but alright. 

Keith followed the rest of Shiro’s family outside to a very large back yard. The ground and trees were blossoming alike and Volle and her sister, Viziri, were setting up additional decorations in the background. Wow, they really took their family get togethers seriously.

Lehtik approached him with a piece of shimmering cloth in hand. “Keith, darling,” She bagan. “I know the two of you are all about business but I'd like you to wear this.” What did she mean by that?

It was a shawl cut in delicate flower patterns, not particularly heavy, and reflected the Daibazaal sun brilliantly. Keith, who was still only wearing his Marmora suit, decided to accept as not to be rude. He didn't technically need it, the suit regulated his temperature so he was never too cold in the shade or too hot into the sun. Still, Lehtik wanted to share something with him and truthfully it made him happy. 

“...Sure, of course. It's beautiful, by the way. What’s it made out of?” It shimmered in the light, breaking the rays into a complex swarm of rainbow colors so condensed that the light doubled back on itself so many times it returned to white. The confusion and awe of simultaneously seeing the white and colored light was going to hypnotize Keith if he watched it any further. 

Lehtik easily placed it around his shoulders and even lifted the ends of his hair so they weren't trapped. Keith watched the different shades of yellow marble dance around on her skin as she extended her arms in wonderment. 

“When my home planet was still around, there used to be a special spider that would spin the silk that made these. They were large, and could fit in the palm of your hand. They were kind and had beautiful auras that rivaled their silk. When everyone left the planet they tried to bring the animals so all the species had a chance at surviving. Those spiders were the first to die out, unfortunately. They only lasted 204 years aboard their cruiser in space. The older Soleans were devastated. They'd lost their favorite and closest arachnid and would never see another aura like theirs agan.”

Is... Is she talking about magical spiders? 

“Now, when you wear this it will represent the beauty of friends that may be lost but will always be remembered for their brilliance and pure hearts.” She lovingly placed a hand on the side Keith's face like he was her own grandchild. Her golden eyes sparkled. 

“I wish you all the happiness in these coming years, Keith.” She pulled him into a deep hug as Keith tried to understand what was happening. 

After a few moments she pulled away and left him standing there as she went back to her spot at the outdoor table. 

Keith wasn't sure how to processed what just happened. He landed on chalking it up to not understanding Solean customs. He barely knew his own race’s customs so he figured that was probably where the disconnect was happening. Still it was sort of funny in a cute way. And he really was flattered. He couldn’t wait to tell Shiro about this. Where was he?

Keith looked towards the door to see Kroz coming out, Lam in hand, with no Shiro. 

She crossed over to him when she spotted him. “Oo, the Selvitan spider shawl? Lucky.” She smiled at him. He wanted to ask about why Lehtik gave it to him but the first thing he concerned himself with was Shiro. 

“Is he awake?” 

She gently bounced the baby on her hip. “Mmm, yeah. He’s taking a shower first, though.”

What? No fair, Keith didn’t get to shower today. The sun was high in the sky by now, how was it possible that Shiro had slept this long? Maybe he just took vacation seriously. 

Kroz went off to hand the little baby Galra to Lehkit so she could help her mother and aunt continue to decorate. 

Suddenly Srik was gesturing to him to come over and he obliged. “Here, son.” He reached out his hand with a large what Keith guessed was a piece of fruit. “You said you were part Galra as well, so this should suit the both of you.” 

Shiro’s family was nice and Al that but they said some pretty confusing stuff. First spiders, now fruit, what was the point of all of this? Just to be friendly to a stranger in their house? It seemed a bit excessive to Keith. Honestly the dinner and breakfast were more than he would ask for anyway.

Srik didn't seem like he was going to explain any further so Keith accepted his gift. It was a strange magenta color and fit in both of Keith’s hands. The weird thing about it was it looked like there was another fruit growing off the side to an angle, mirroring it perfectly, sort of like a heart. 

What did he mean suit the both of them? Maybe he had to share it with Shiro because it was so big? Maybe only Galra could eat it? Keith had questions but he didn’t to be rude. 

“Um, thank you, sir, uh, Srik. I’ve never had one before.”

He let out a booming laugh. “Well I should hope so!” 

What?

Keith didn't know what to say. What exactly was this thing?

A few feet away Volle dropped a drape cloth, part of her decorations. Keith took a step and picked it off the floor for her. 

“Here you go.” He offered it to her as she thanked him. “I figured I’m closer to the floor anyway.” He tried his attempt at a short joke.

She gave a short laugh and Keith offered to help with the rest of their decorations. 

“Oh, no dear. You should be relaxing. What kind of hosts would we be if we made either of you help with the set up?” It was just a lunch, Keith couldn't figure out what the big deal was. Maybe it was different when you have lots of family, or maybe it was some Galra code or something. either way Keith couldn't figure it out.

“In fact, why don't you come with me.” Shiro’s mother pulled him away from the group and into the house. She made him wait at the dining room as she retrieved a medium sized box which she revealed to have brushes, curlers, barrettes and hair ties. 

“Do you mind if I touch your hair?” 

Normally Keith wouldn't let anybody he didn't really know that close but it was Shiro’s mother. With any luck one day him and Shiro’s family will be close, but he's got to get closer to Shiro first and foremost. 

Keith nodded to her. “Sure, go ahead.”

\----------

She told him a lot about Shiro as a kid, teen, baby, whatever Keith asked. She told him about how Shiro was always kind hearted and sweet to everybody growing up and how he was always a peacemaker. It seemed fitting seeing as how all he was doing now was bringing peace to other worlds that needed it. 

When she finished with Keith’s hair it was done in a fancy brilliant braid that had so many pieces Keith wouldn't even know where to begin to make plaits like that. As a finishing touch she reached into her collection of hair things and pulled out along, beautiful white jeweled hair pin. She slid it into place down among the braid. 

“Perfect. This should bring you good luck. My mother wore it, I wore, even Kroz wore it. She didn't have any use for sparkly things so she returned it to me so I could share it with Shiro one day, which means inadvertently sharing it with you, Keith.”

This was some sort of family heirloom? Why would she let Keith borrow it? Keith’s suspicions began to grow but didn't get very fair before Kroz found them inside. 

“Everything’s finished outside, now we’re just waiting for Shiro.” She gestured them to follow her outside. 

Where the hell was Shiro? Keith hadn't heard any water running upstairs, and even if he did it would have been the longest shower of his life. 

Volle went first, excited to see the decoration result. Just then Keith heard the front door open. He stopped in his tracks and poked his head around the corner of the stairs to see who it was. 

It was Shiro, tall and fuzzy, clutching a shopping bag in his hand. He started to leap up the stairs before Keith spoke up. 

“I thought you were in the shower?” He said  
quizzically. 

Shiro stopped ascending the stairs and hid the  
shopping bag behind him. 

“Oh, I did. Then I slipped out, sorry. Hope it wasn't  
weird for you, hey did you do your hair? It looks fancy.” 

“Actually your mom did it.” Keith eyed the bag he was trying desperately to keep behind him. “Anyway, I guess your mom and aunt are finished setting up the lunch decorations. You’re family really goes all out, Shiro.”

“Decorations? For a lunch? That's strange, they haven't done that before.” He looked toward the backdoor, as if he could see his family through the stairs and walls. 

“You were gone for over nine months. And that was just the Nox project. They miss you, Shiro.” It was no wonder to Keith now why Shiro’s family was being so wonderful to him. Because out there in space and on the cruiser Keith was Shiro’s family. Even if they were only friends Keith was closer with him than with anybody else in his life. 

He smiled. “Alright, give me one second.” 

He disappeared around top of the stairs for a moment then came back without his bag. Keith waited at the bottom step for him. 

They walked, together, to the back yard. Again, all of the flowers were too beautiful. They filled the trees and lined the ground, Volle and Viziri had plucked some for a centerpiece on their table. Lehtik sat, stringing some together in a hoop while Lam sat on her lap, trying to grab whatever she could. 

There were drapes spaced out, hanging off of the light fixtures that dotted the lawn. Srik had begun cooking something on the outdoor stove. It looked like a genuine party. 

Keith glanced over to Shiro who had a look of surprise on his face. “What is all of this? This is way more than what I was expecting.” He turned his head, slightly angling his large furry ear around the party. Kroz saw them and hastily made her way over. 

“Hey, you’re finally here. Let’s get started then.” She announced loudly. 

What was she talking about?

“What are you talk about?” Shiro stole the words straight from Keith’s mind. “Why is aunt Viziri here? With Kome and Nomik?”

Kroz walked away with a smirk without answering. 

Shiro looked at Keith. “This is strange, my entire family is here, well except for Kuron...” He trailed off while looking at Keith. 

There was suddenly music, but where from Keith had no idea. It was time to party and celebrate Shiro coming home

“Look, I’ve got a thousand questions of my own but let’s just have fun for now.” He tried to relax him. 

Shiro nodded and dropped his concern. “It really is nice to get to see everyone anyway.”

\----------

From what Keith understood Shiro hadn’t gotten to meet Lam yet which made sense since he had been away from home so long. His aunt gave him a large hug and even his cousins came over for a conversation. They were young and thought Shiro was the coolest. It made Keith smile because they were right. 

Shiro asked Keith about the shawl and the hair barrette. Keith explained how his family was letting him use them. He was reminded of the fruit from Srik that was left on the dining room table. “Oh, I also got this fruit thing. Hold on.” 

Keith stood up from where he, Shiro, and Lam were entertaining each other and ran back inside. There, sitting at the table where he’d gotten his hair done by Volle was the large fruit. He picked it up and idly took a bite as he returned back outside. 

The flavor was immense. It shocked the inside of his mouth as he began salivating more. There’s no way he could have expected something like this because he had never experienced anything of this caliber before. It was sweet and juicy and tasted like a million berries. He was in awe of the fruit from Srik. He broke into a run to get back to Shiro. 

“Shiro, Shiro oh my God, you have to taste this.” Keith said urgently, reaching out and placing the fruit in Shiro’s absent-minded hand. 

Shiro had his eyes locked on Lam, trying to get her to laugh. He didn't ignore Keith but he didn't respond, only pulled the fruit Keith handed to him to his mouth and took a bite. He broke his eyes off of his niece to stare cross eyed at the fruit he was biting. He pulled the fruit away from his face to look at it better. He swallowed hard. 

“Keith...wh...where did you get this?” 

“Huh?” Keith blinked, confused by Shiro’s sudden seriousness. “I got it from your dad?”

“Keith. Do you know what this is?” he asked as he stood to his feet off the grass, growing to his full size. He whipped his head between his family, the decorated lawn, and Keith. 

“A delicious piece of fruit?” Keith guessed his answer. He had no idea what was going on. Shiro knew something he didn't. 

Shiro’s eyes did a once over again, then looked back to the large magenta fruit with two bites out of it in his hand. “Oh my god... OH MY GOD!”

This was the loudest Keith had ever heard Shiro get. Kroz is the first one to respond. “Now, Shiro, hold on a second!” 

Shiro continued on, obviously angry at something Keith had yet to realize. 

“I leave for a couple hours to do some shopping and you plan a WEDDING while I’m gone?!” Keith could see the irises and pupils in Shiro’s eyes start to thin into a wide slit. He’s never seen him this angry before but something else was a bit more pressing. 

“... Wedding?”

“WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS!” he yelled incredulously. 

The sudden outburst of anger was enough to start Lam crying from uncertainty. Kroz quickly slipped past the drama to pick up and comfort her daughter and pull her away from them. 

Volle came forward from the rest of the shocked family. “Shiro, sweetheart, I don’t understand? Isn’t that why brought Keith home to us?”

“WHAT?!” He yelled, equally incredulously. 

“Did you say wedding?”

Volle’s eyebrows creased. “But, Kroz told us...” The focus shifted onto the named. 

Kroz stood there, eyes a little wide but standing her ground nonetheless. “Well...” She glanced around the yard as if the perfect excuse were going to be written on the fence. Suddenly her explanation came spilling out in a hurry. “Technically, Mom was the one that misconstrued that you two were engaged. I just didn’t correct her. So it’s really her fault, and you can’t blame me! And you can’t hit me, either. Cuz I have a baby.” She shot her brother a challenging look. 

Srik sounded off from the table. “You’ve been lying to us, Kroz?”

“Engaged?”

Volle gave her daughter a slap on the arm. “It’s been months, Kroz! You let everybody here look like a complete fool and they're not even getting married?”

Shiro joined back in with the yelling. “We’re not even dating yet!”

“Yet?” 

That one got Shiro's attention. He turned towards him with his eyes softening and a deep purple pooling in his cheeks. “Uh...”

“I don’t understand,” Lehtik left the table leaving only Srik and Shiro’s cousins seated. “you say you two aren’t together but your souls say otherwise? Even if Kroz hadn’t led us astray, the moment I saw you two I could have guessed you were lovers. Your colors match each other perfectly and you grow brighter the closer you are. Our minds might tell us one thing. But our hearts and auras never lie.”

Shiro was frozen, staring down at his slightly shorter grandmother. The movements on her skin were fast now, ripples of yellow and orange and sometimes a flicker of red. Like she was a flame that burned off of love. 

Suddenly Shiro ran. For a large Galra he moved pretty quickly, through the grass and back into the house. Keith was left as the center of attention after he was gone. 

He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what to think. 

Shiro said they weren’t dating yet? Their...aura’s matched, or something? This was a wedding?

Keith slowly rotated his head to look at Shiro’s family. Nobody seemed to know how to start the conversation. 

“I, uh... I guess I should return these.” He pulled the shawl off as well as the hair pin. He feels like such a dumbass. The gifts make sense now. “Sorry, I didn’t know you guys didn’t...” He trailed off. This was too awkward for him to handle. 

Lehtik looked at him with a smile. “Keep them for now.” 

Volle nodded. “My mother’s right, Keith. Shiro may not want to separate. You see, it’s a Solean tradition to host two weddings for couples. The first is a small event to accept the other person into their new family. The second is to show off the new bond and to celebrate with the community.

“The gifts, the time spent and things shared will never go away. You’ve been accepted into our family, Keith. By our account you and Shiro ARE married now... even if by accident.”

Keith blinked. He was married? To Shiro?

Kroz piped up. “Plus, you two did eat that Soulbinder.”

Another confused look made its way across Keith’s face. 

Srik huffed from his seat in the back. “It makes sense why you didn’t recognize it, you did say you grew up away from traditional Galra customs. It’s a old one. Back before Daibazaal disappeared. Back then there wasn't always time for a full celebration so couples would each eat a piece of the Soulbinder. It’s a fruit that could have been one, but instead grew two halves that are bound together.”

“That explains why the fruit set him off...” Keith didn’t know what comes next. “What now...” He thought to himself aloud. 

Shiro was probably locked in the bedroom upstairs. The poor man had his secret outed by his entire family who didn’t know his feelings were a secret. Who knows how this would affect their friendship. Who knows how this would affect whatever they were supposed to become. 

Keith looked at Kroz standing in front of him. “Why’d you do this?” He was curious, non-accusing. 

A wave off guilt washed over her face and she gave a tentative shrug. “I don't know, he just talked about you so much. He told me again and again how he wanted to ask you out but couldn’t. When Mom got it in her head that you two were engaged, I guess I just wanted to see how it played out.”

This whole thing was a mess and Keith had some cleaning to do with Shiro. Keith had already talked about his and Shiro’s relationship, unknowingly, at length with everyone except Shiro himself. It was time. 

Keith sighed. He looked over every pair of concerned yellow and golden eyes. “Alright. I’ll be back.” 

He left Shiro’s family out in the backyard and returned inside the house. Upstairs on the second floor, Keith was right. Shiro had locked himself in. He gave the door a couple taps with no response. 

“Shiro, It’s me.” More silence. “Can you please open the door?” More silence. “Come on, I can't break this thing down, it’s massive.”

Suddenly the slide of the lock sounded off and the knob turned. Shiro opened the door and stood there not saying a thing. He was trying to stare at the ground passed Keith, which didn't work very well considering how tall he was. He ended up looking to the side in order no to face him. 

“It’s okay, Shiro.” He began. 

“I’m so sorry, Keith. I had no idea they were going to, I didn't think Kroz would lie, I don't know why they wouldn't TALK to me first before going ahead an deciding that we were together.”

Keith sucked the hair in between his teeth. “Well, I actually think they brought up with me a few times this morning, I just didn't realize what they were talking about. They kept going off about how they want us to be happy and wish us luck... I feel extremely stupid now, wow.”

Shiro gave a breathy laugh. Good, hopefully Keith could turn his mood around. Shiro shook his head. “Kroz had to just... Just tell everyone, didn’t she. I thought she helped me sneak out this morning to cover for me but she just wanted to run this ruse as long as possible, I guess.”

That’s right, he left the house at some point. “What did you sneak out for? WHY did you sneak out?”

Shiro turned his gaze away from him. “Well it’s... nothing. I don't wanna add fuel to the flames here...”

Now he was even more intrigued. “What was it?”

Shiro turned away and reached into the closet, pulling out the bag he brought home earlier. The one he tried to hide. He crossed over and sat down on the bed. Him sitting down made him the same height as Keith standing. 

“Well... you loved it so much, and you were just going to leave it there, so I went back. I wanted it to be a surprise.” He reached into the paper bag and pulled out a small leather sheath with something strapped into it. It was the blade from the night before. The pinkish purple glow trapped in the ice-like crystal was unmistakable. Shiro went back and got it just for him. 

Shiro reached out, placing the sheath into Keith’s hand. Keith held onto his hand as he tried to pull it back. He bit his lip, he had no words for Shiro’s loving generosity. 

“Screw it.” Keith stepped towards him, placing his hands on either side of his face and pulled him in for a kiss. He ran his fingers through the fur of his ears. Finally. 

Shiro was shocked, almost stunned, but not enough to stop him from pulling away. “Keith! What are you-”

“What?” Keith questioned with a faint smile. “Are you saying I can't kiss my own husband?”

Shiro’s face stayed shocked and confused until a smile broke it’s way through to the surface. “What, wait, Keith, do you...”

Keith kissed him again. This time his big Galra husband placed his buff arms around him as they shared confessions of wet, hot lips on each other. Keith had never kissed anyone before. He wasn't sure if he was doing it right but everything seemed alright to Shiro. 

Shiro placed his hand on his lower back, tugging him forward onto his lap. 

Several minutes went by before Keith finally pulled away. “So, what do you think? Should we stay married? Hm, what would we tell the Blades?”

Shiro smiles at him, a dreamy haze in his eyes. “We’ll just keep it our secret.” He leaned his forehead to Keith’s. 

\--------

Everyone was happy when they said they were going to stay together. Kroz shouted with triumph and jokingly claimed it was her plan all along. Volle and Lehtik gave them long hugs each and invited Keith to one day bring his mother to meet them all. Srik gave them a pat on the back. Even Lam was more excited because of the happy buzz. 

Leaving the next day was almost hard for Keith. These people were his family now. It was something he really didn't have before and now he had a good handful of new members. And the most important one of all, Shiro. 

Were they going to really stay married? Were they really going to begin their relationship already at the finish line? No, they’d begin at the start. They wouldn't have to worry about where they would end up in the future because they were already soul bound. 

Would they keep it a secret from everyone on the cruiser? Probably for a while. Who knows how long they could keep it concealed, or how long they could keep their hands off each other. 

This ended up being the best vacation ever. It changed everything and nothing between them at same time. Shiro and Keith were married. There’s no way he was ever letting that go.

**Author's Note:**

> This really became more about Keith and Shiro’s family than it I'd about SK OOPS
> 
> Anyway I plan to continue writing short stories for this series of "Some Other Paladins".  
> I got really into writing this one and planned like four other OTL 
> 
> Don't forget to leave some Kudos and a comment if you feel like it! I've got two other fics, one short and complete and one long and ongoing! I'll be coming out with another long, shieth slow burn later sometime this year!
> 
> Thank you for reading, it means a lot to me!
> 
> Come see me on Twitter at:  
> @sunfries  
> @sunfries_arts  
> Let me know you came from AO3!!


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